Associate Professor Justin Scanlan
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Associate Professor Justin Scanlan

PhD Sydney; MHM UNSW; DipBus NSW Health; GDipMentalHlthSc Melb; GradCertEdStud Sydney; BOccThy Qld; SFHEA (Senior Fellow - Higher Education Academy)
Associate Professor(Occupational Therapy)
Associate Professor Justin Scanlan

Associate Professor Justin Scanlan is an occupational therapist with a clinical background in mental health practice. He is currently associate professor at the Sydney School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. Prior to joining the University, he was Professional Senior for Occupational Therapy in mental health in Sydney Local Health District.

He is the Conference Convenor for the 2025 Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference and Exhibition.

Justin’s research and clinical practice is focused on supporting individuals living with serious mental illness to engage in meaningful activities with a specific focus on overcoming cognitive barriers to performance. His recent research has explored the further development of the Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains and Stages (RAS-DS), occupational therapy practice in various mental health settings including in eating disorders and evaluation of innovative mental health programs delivered by community managed organsiations.

Associate Professor Scanlan is currently the New South Wales practitioner member on the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia and co-chair of the Australian and New Zealand Occupational Therapy Mental Health Academics (ANZOTMHA) network. He was Chair of the Conference Scientific Program Committee for the 2019 Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference and has been a member of the Scientific Program Committee for all conferences since 2011.

Justin is part of the following research teams:

Centre for Disability Research and Policy

  • psychosocial disability;
  • mental health recovery;
  • workforce issues and employee wellbeing;
  • cognition and functional independence in mental illness;
  • occupational therapy clinical practice in mental health;
  • clinical and professional reasoning in occupational therapy;
  • Consumer-led and consumer-engaged research;
  • lived experience teaching;
  • time use and health;
  • the health effects of unemployment.
  • OCCP1106: Psychosocial capacities and occupational performance
  • OCCP4102:Psychosocial capacities and occupational performance 2
  • OCCP5222: Psychosocial and Cognitive Strategies
  • OCCP5288: Psychosocial occupational therapy
  • Recovery in the context of psychosocial disability
  • Exploring consumer / lived experience educator involvement in occupational therapy education
  • Curriculum redesign to prepare occupational therapy students for mental health practice
  • Supporting the mental health workforce to develop skills in supporting individuals to overcome cognitive barriers to performance
  • Developing online resources to support collaborative, recovery-oriented goal setting
  • The effectiveness of sensory approaches in mental health

2020 - Sydney School of Health Sciences Teaching Award

2020 - Senior Fellow - Higher Education Academy

2017 - Faculty of Health Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching

Neurosciences and Mental Health
Project titleResearch student
Clinical utility and feasibility of functional cognition screening within Emergency and/or short stay acute in-patient setting for discharge planning for older adults to detect cognitive impairmentFrank GOMES
Exploring the barriers and enablers to workplace wellbeing of creative practitioners working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilitTania ROSE
A parent-delivered peer-mediated play-based intervention to support social functioning of neurodiverse children: Co-designed with parentsAswithaa VISAKESWARAN
Mothering A Child With A Disability: The Lived Experience of Asian Migrant Mothers in AustraliaRachel YU

Publications

Book Chapters

  • Fossey, E., Scanlan, J. (2022). Line Managers and Workplace Accommodations. In Paula Brough, Elliroma Gardiner, Kevin Daniels (Eds.), Handbook on Management and Employment Practices, (pp. 133-155). Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland. [More Information]
  • Meadows, G., Aadam, B., Buchanan-Hagen, S., Cugnetto, M., Daya, I., Farhall, J., Fernbacher, S., Fossey, E., Johnson, C., et al, Scanlan, J. (2021). Assessment in mental health. In G Meadows, J Farhall, E Fossey, B Happell, F McDermott, S Rosenberg (Eds.), Mental Health and Collaborative Community Practice: An Australian Perspective, (pp. 315-379). Docklands: Oxford University Press.
  • Scanlan, J., Brentnall, J., Unsworth, C. (2021). Clinical reasoning in occupational therapy practice. In Ted Brown, Helen M. Bourke-Taylor, Stephen Isbel, Reinie Cordier, and Louise Gus (Eds.), Occupational Therapy in Australia : Professional and Practice Issues, (pp. 201-212). United Kingdom: Routledge.

Journals

  • Aguey-zinsou, M., Scanlan, J., Cusick, A. (2023). A Scoping and Systematic Review of Employment Processes and Outcomes for Young Adults Experiencing Psychosis. Community Mental Health Journal, 59(4), 728-755. [More Information]
  • Arblaster, K., Mackenzie, L., Buus, N., Chen, T., Gill, K., Gomez, L., Hamilton, D., Hancock, N., McCloughen, A., Nicholson, M., Quinn, Y., Scanlan, J., Schneider, C., Schweizer, R., Wells, K., et al (2023). Co-design and evaluation of a multidisciplinary teaching resource on mental health recovery involving people with lived experience. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. [More Information]
  • Judd, B., Brentnall, J., Scanlan, J., Thomson, K., Blackstock, F., Mandrusiak, A., Chipchase, L., Phillips, A., McAllister, S. (2023). Evaluating allied health students’ readiness for placement learning. BMC Medical Education, 23(1). [More Information]

Conferences

  • Judd, B., Scanlan, J., Alison, J., Waters, D., Gordon, C. (2016). Is the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice Tool Valid in Clinical Simulation? Australasian Simulation Congress.
  • Hancock, N., Scanlan, J., Bundy, A., Honey, A. (2014). Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains & Stages (RAS-DS): Measuring individual recovery outcomes and facilitating the process of recovery action planning. TheMHS Conference on "People: Authenticity Starts in the Heart", Auckland: TheMHS Learning Network Inc.
  • Scanlan, J. (2006). AusCAH: The Australian Centre of Activities for Health [Business Plan]. 7th Annual Association of Pacific Rim Universities Doctoral Students Conference, Singapore.

Report

  • Hancock, N., Mellifont, D., Scanlan, J., Hamilton, D., Smith-Merry, J. (2022). Breaking down Barriers: Co-designed recommendations to reduce stakeholder identified NDIS access barriers for people with psychosocial disability. The University of Sydney.
  • Mellifont, D., Scanlan, J., Smith-Merry, J. (2015). Disabling employment obstacles: a study exploring accommodations that can assist government employees with anxiety. The University of Sydney.

2023

  • Aguey-zinsou, M., Scanlan, J., Cusick, A. (2023). A Scoping and Systematic Review of Employment Processes and Outcomes for Young Adults Experiencing Psychosis. Community Mental Health Journal, 59(4), 728-755. [More Information]
  • Arblaster, K., Mackenzie, L., Buus, N., Chen, T., Gill, K., Gomez, L., Hamilton, D., Hancock, N., McCloughen, A., Nicholson, M., Quinn, Y., Scanlan, J., Schneider, C., Schweizer, R., Wells, K., et al (2023). Co-design and evaluation of a multidisciplinary teaching resource on mental health recovery involving people with lived experience. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. [More Information]
  • Judd, B., Brentnall, J., Scanlan, J., Thomson, K., Blackstock, F., Mandrusiak, A., Chipchase, L., Phillips, A., McAllister, S. (2023). Evaluating allied health students’ readiness for placement learning. BMC Medical Education, 23(1). [More Information]

2022

  • Dawson, S., Oster, C., Scanlan, J., Kernot, J., Ayling, B., Pelichowski, K., Beamish, A. (2022). A realist evaluation of weighted modalities as an alternative to pro re nata medication for mental health inpatients. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 31(3), 553-566. [More Information]
  • Mellifont, D., Hancock, N., Scanlan, J., Hamilton, D. (2022). Barriers to applying to the NDIS for Australians with psychosocial disability: A scoping review. Australian Journal of Social Issues. [More Information]
  • Hancock, N., Mellifont, D., Scanlan, J., Hamilton, D., Smith-Merry, J. (2022). Breaking down Barriers: Co-designed recommendations to reduce stakeholder identified NDIS access barriers for people with psychosocial disability. The University of Sydney.

2021

  • Meadows, G., Aadam, B., Buchanan-Hagen, S., Cugnetto, M., Daya, I., Farhall, J., Fernbacher, S., Fossey, E., Johnson, C., et al, Scanlan, J. (2021). Assessment in mental health. In G Meadows, J Farhall, E Fossey, B Happell, F McDermott, S Rosenberg (Eds.), Mental Health and Collaborative Community Practice: An Australian Perspective, (pp. 315-379). Docklands: Oxford University Press.
  • Scanlan, J., Brentnall, J., Unsworth, C. (2021). Clinical reasoning in occupational therapy practice. In Ted Brown, Helen M. Bourke-Taylor, Stephen Isbel, Reinie Cordier, and Louise Gus (Eds.), Occupational Therapy in Australia : Professional and Practice Issues, (pp. 201-212). United Kingdom: Routledge.
  • Clemson, L., Laver, K., Rahja, M., Culph, J., Scanlan, J., Day, S., Comans, T., Jeon, Y., Low, L., Crotty, M., Kurrle, S., et al (2021). Implementing a reablement intervention, 'Care of People with dementia in their Environments (COPE)': A hybrid implementation-effectiveness study. The Gerontologist, 61(6), 965-976. [More Information]

2020

  • Culph, J., Clemson, L., Scanlan, J., Craven, L., Jeon, Y., Laver, K. (2020). Exploring relationships between health professionals through the implementation of a reablement program for people with dementia: A mixed methods study. Brain Impairment, 21(3), 286-298. [More Information]
  • Yeung, W., Hancock, N., Honey, A., Wells, K., Scanlan, J. (2020). Igniting and Maintaining Hope: The Voices of People Living with Mental Illness. Community Mental Health Journal, 56(6), 1044-1052. [More Information]
  • Honey, A., Boydell, K., Coniglio, F., Do, T., Dunn, L., Gill, K., Glover, H., Hines, M., Scanlan, J., Tooth, B. (2020). Lived experience research as a resource for recovery: A mixed methods study. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 456. [More Information]

2019

  • Cheal, B., Bundy, A., Patomella, A., Scanlan, J., Wilson, C. (2019). Converting the DriveSafe subtest of DriveSafe DriveAware for touchscreen administration. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(3), 326-336. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Feder, K., Ennals, P., Hancock, N. (2019). Outcomes of an individual placement and support programme incorporating principles of the collaborative recovery model. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(4), 519-529. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Still, M. (2019). Relationships between burnout, turnover intention, job satisfaction, job demands and job resources for mental health personnel in an Australian mental health service. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 1-11. [More Information]

2018

  • Schweizer, R., Honey, A., Hancock, N., Berry, B., Waks, S., Scanlan, J. (2018). Consumer-provider relationships in a care coordination model of service: consumer perspectives. Advances in Mental Health, 16(1), 88-100. [More Information]
  • Wells, K., Scanlan, J., Gomez, L., Rutter, S., Hancock, N., Tuite, A., Ho, J., Jacek, S., Jones, A., Mehdi, H., et al (2018). Decision making and support available to individuals considering and undertaking electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): A qualitative, consumer-led study. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1). [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J. (2018). Evaluation of the construct and internal validity of the Professional Identity Questionnaire: A Rasch analysis. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 65(5), 395-404. [More Information]

2017

  • Honey, A., Nugent, A., Hancock, N., Scanlan, J. (2017). "It's hard work, believe me!": Active efforts to optimise housing by people who live with mental illness and access housing assistance. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 52(4), 347-366. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Yu, L. (2017). A range of psycho-social and psychological interventions can support moderate improvements in negative symptoms in psychosis. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 64(4), 344-345. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Brentnall, J. (2017). Clinical reasoning in occupational therapy practice. In Ted Brown, Helen Bourke-Taylor, Stephen Isbel, Reinie Cordier (Eds.), Occupational therapy in Australia: Professional and practice issues, (pp. 174-184). Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

2016

  • Scanlan, J., Nisbet, G. (2016). A single virtual patient education activity led to improvements in some self-reported interprofessional competencies in approximately 40% of students. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(4), 298-300. [More Information]
  • Mellifont, D., Smith-Merry, J., Scanlan, J. (2016). Disabling accommodation barriers: A study exploring how to better accommodate government employees with anxiety disorders. Work, 55(3), 549-564. [More Information]
  • Evatt, M., Scanlan, J., Benson, H., Pace, C., Mouawad, A. (2016). Exploring consumer functioning in High Dependency Units and Psychiatric Intensive Care Units: Implications for mental health occupational therapy. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(5), 312-320. [More Information]

2015

  • Scanlan, J., Lannin, N., Hoffmann, T. (2015). Can Rasch Analysis Enhance the Abstract Ranking Process in Scientific Conferences? Issues of Interrater Variability and Abstract Rating Burden. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 35(1), 18-26. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Still, M. (2015). Cognitive adaptation training demonstrated benefits for individuals living with schizophrenia in terms of community functioning and impact of auditory hallucinations. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62(5), 367-368. [More Information]
  • Harley, D., Mpofu, E., Scanlan, J., Umeasiegbu, V., Mpofu, N. (2015). Disability Social Inclusion and Community Health. In Elias Mpofu (Eds.), Community-Oriented Health Services: Practices Across Disciplines, (pp. 207-222). New York: Springer Publishing Company. [More Information]

2014

  • Fossey, E., Scanlan, J. (2014). 2020 Vision: Promoting participation, mental health and wellbeing through occupational therapy - What are we doing and where are we heading? Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 61(4), 213-214. [More Information]
  • Hancock, N., Scanlan, J., Bundy, A., Honey, A. (2014). Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains & Stages (RAS-DS): Measuring individual recovery outcomes and facilitating the process of recovery action planning. TheMHS Conference on "People: Authenticity Starts in the Heart", Auckland: TheMHS Learning Network Inc.
  • Scanlan, J., Lewis, J. (2014). Universally delivered workplace interventions made a small but significant contribution to reduced depressive symptoms in employees. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 61(6), 465-467. [More Information]

2013

  • Scanlan, J., Meredith, P., Poulsen, A. (2013). Enhancing retention of occupational therapists working in mental health: Relationships between wellbeing at work and turnover intention. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 60(6), 395-403. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Still, M. (2013). Functional profile of mental health consumers assessed by occupational therapists: Level of independence and associations with functional cognition. Psychiatry Research, 208(1), 29-32. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Still, M. (2013). Job satisfaction, burnout and turnover intention in occupational therapists working in mental health. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 60(5), 310-318. [More Information]

2012

  • Scanlan, J., Wheatley, J., McIntosh, S. (2012). Characteristics of falls in inpatient psychiatric units. Australasian Psychiatry, 20(4), 305-308. [More Information]
  • Novak, T., Scanlan, J., McCaul, D., MacDonald, N., Clarke, T. (2012). Pilot study of a sensory room in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. Australasian Psychiatry, 20(5), 401-406. [More Information]

2011

  • Scanlan, J., Bundy, A. (2011). Development and validation of the Modified Occupational Questionnaire. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(1), e11-e19. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Bundy, A., Matthews, L. (2011). Health and meaningfulness of time use for unemployed individuals: associations with involvement in education. Leisure Studies, 30(1), 21-31. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Bundy, A., Matthews, L. (2011). Promoting wellbeing in young unemployed adults: The importance of identifying meaningful patterns of time use. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 58(2), 111-119. [More Information]

2010

  • Scanlan, J. (2010). Interventions to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint in inpatient psychiatric settings: What we know so far a review of the literature. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 56(4), 412-423. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Bundy, A., Matthews, L. (2010). Investigating the Relationship between Meaningful time use and Health in 18-to 25-year-old Unemployed People in New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 20(3), 232-247. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Hancock, N. (2010). Online discussions develop students' clinical reasoning skills during fieldwork. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 57(6), 401-408. [More Information]

2009

  • Scanlan, J., Bundy, A. (2009). Is the health of young unemployed Australians worse in times of low unemployment? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 33(1), 79-82. [More Information]

2008

  • Scanlan, J. (2008). A theoretical model for supporting bounded learning communities focussed on the promotion of clinical reasoning in health students undertaking field-based education. Focus on Health Professional Education: A multi-disciplinary journal, 10(1), 27-42.

2007

  • Beltran, R., Scanlan, J., Hancock, N., Luckett, T. (2007). The effect of first year mental health fieldwork on attitudes of ocupational therapy students towards people with mental illness. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54(1), 42-48. [More Information]
  • Scanlan, J., Beltran, R. (2007). Work in Unemployment - Occupied or Preoccupied? A review. Work, 28(4), 325-334.

2006

  • Scanlan, J. (2006). AusCAH: The Australian Centre of Activities for Health [Business Plan]. 7th Annual Association of Pacific Rim Universities Doctoral Students Conference, Singapore.
  • Scanlan, J., McLoughlin, C., Hancock, N. (2006). Design and evaluation of an e-learning environment to support the development and refinement of clinical reasoning and decision-making. 23rd Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education ASCILITE 2006, Australia: Sydney University Press.
  • Scanlan, J., Beltran, R. (2006). Pre-occupation: a new concept in occupational science. WFOT 2006: OTs in action: local and global, Sydney, Australia: University of Sydney.

2005

  • Scanlan, J., Hancock, N. (2005). Enhancing field education through the use of internet-based teaching tools (WebCT). Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Annual Conference - HERDSA 2005, Sydney: Institute for Teaching and Learning.
  • Scanlan, J., Hancock, N. (2005). WebCT use in cliical education: its impact on the development of lifelong learners. EdHealth Conference 2005, Terrigal: College of Health Sciences.

2003

  • Scanlan, J., Andersen, D. (2003). Relapse Prevention and Self-Management of Illness. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Conference - OT Australia, Queensland, Brisbane.
  • Scanlan, J., Taylor, H. (2003). The Work of Recovery. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Conference - OT Australia, Queensland, Brisbane.

2001

  • Scanlan, J. (2001). A triple tiered approach to suicide prevention: Intervention, Education and Quality Improvement: The Logan-Beaudesert Health Service District Response. Suicide Prevention 2001: A Human Odyssey - 8th Annual Suicide Prevention Australia National Conference, Sydney, Sydney.
  • Scanlan, J. (2001). Recovery Planning - A new Strategy for the Prevention of Relapse. No one is an Island, Wellington, New Zealand.

1998

  • Scanlan, J. (1998). New perspectives, new directions: Occupational Therapy and the Treatment of Consumers with Personality Disorders. OT Australia Queensland State Conference, Brisbane.

Selected Grants

2024

  • Moyira Elizabeth Vine and Tim Haire Endowment Fund for Research into Schizophrenia 2024, Scanlan J, Faculty of Medicine and Health/Moyira Elizabeth Vine and Tim Haire Endowment Fund for Research into Schizophrenia

2022

  • DRIV-R: A co-designed personalised App to navigate and accelerate my mental health recovery, Hancock N, Ahmadpour N, Smith L, Honey A, Scanlan J, Orr M, Rose G, Glover H, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/2021 MRFF Consumer-Led Research